The Trainer for Hire
by Fan-timeStories
Summary: Set in 1925, a new Pokemon trainer journeys the world in search for paid work. Prior to mainstream Pokemon catching and training, Pokemon battles were unheard of and hence, income via Pokemon battles have not yet conceptualize. The new trainer discovers that some Pokemon do have malicious intent and wilfully hurt and even kill humans and decides to become a trainer for hire.
1. Chapter 1 - The End of an Era

**Summary**

Carlin was always unremarkable at first glance, with his black hair and dull brown eyes, his lack of respect for authority and cynicism…but he is far more than just a run-of-the-mill, regular boy. He is one of the world's first few monster trainers; his combat ingenuity, enhanced by years of long training and fighting experience with such creatures and humans alike, have made him a brilliant tracker and a merciless hunter. Yet he is not a mindless murderer: his targets are the vile beasts and fiends that ravage the land. But first appearances are often deceptive. Not everything with sharp claws and teeth is evil, and not everything beautiful and fair is good. People will come to know these creatures in the far future as Pokemon.

As a guardian of the helpless, Carlin, the trainer from Cherrygrove City, meets corrupt leaders of huge organisations, undead children, vengeful spirits, shrieking pidgeots, lovelorn banettes and despondent soldiers: many are malicious, some are wicked, and none are quite as they appear…

 **Chapter 1 – The End of an Era**

Miss Lime of Cherrygrove City Orphanage was the bleak, brick building's only caretaker, and she could not have been more than twenty-three or twenty-four. She had a pleasant white oval face with blue eyes and her hair was dark brown. Her body was so slender and delicate one got the feeling that if she fell over she would smash into a thousand pieces, like porcelain china.

Miss Joanne Lime was an unassuming and quiet person who hardly raised her voice and was seldom seen to smile, but there is no doubt she possessed that rare talent for being adored by every small child under her care. She seemed to completely understand the confusion, fear and distress that always overwhelm young children who have lost their parents and for the first time in their lives, are herded together into an unfamiliar place and told to obey orders. Some curious warmth that was almost tangible always shone out of Miss Lime's face whenever she spoke to a distraught and wailing new-comer to the premises.

When Miss Lime woke up on a dull, grey Sunday our story begins. There was nothing about the cloudy sky outside to suggest that grand and revolutionary things would soon be happening in the usually boring city. Miss Lime hummed as she put on her work blouse and started sweeping the floors before going to the kitchen to prepare breakfast for the orphans.

She didn't notice a small brown owl with large orange eyes flutter past the window.

At half past eight, Miss Lime called the children down for breakfast, kissed every one of them good morning on the forehead as they dawdled past her into the dining hall, and she went out to tend to the garden.

She was in the corner where the smell of small flowers was the strongest that she noticed something peculiar – a large orange draconic creature with a brown leather bag slinging to its side was hovering silently above the front gates of the orphanage, its eyes fixed unblinkingly at Miss Lime. She didn't appear frightened to see it, rather, she was mildly surprised that it appeared so suddenly and quietly you'd have thought it just popped out of the sky. The dragon's tail twitched and it landed beside Miss Lime on its two hind legs with a soft 'thud'.

There was only one reason this monster would visit Miss Lime and she knew it wasn't for something trivial. For this monster was under the care of someone she held in very high regards who does not send it out for message delivery unless it was of upmost importance: Professor Samuel Oak. Now, Miss Lime may be good with children, but she was terrible with interacting with beasts like this one, especially when it is more than twice her size. With one hand outstretched expectantly and the other pinching her nose, she spoke to it with her breath held: "What have you got for me this time? And why are you smelling so strongly of Rawst Berries?"

The dragon gave her a mildly annoyed look, as if it understood her, licked its berry-stained claws clean and reached into its leather bag to pull out a rather huge envelope. The large creature then promptly thrust the now slightly crumpled enveloped into Miss Lime's hand before taking off in a single leap and flap of its wings.

Miss Lime immediately began opening the envelope, and out fell two things: one was The Kanto Bulletin, a regional newspaper that she almost never reads as she was too poor to afford such things. The second was a letter, sealed with the logo of Celadon University. Curious, she turned over the newspaper first to reveal its headlines: War is over! Foe Signs Truce; Fighting Ceases on Johto Front.

She stopped breathing for a moment, staring at the words in disbelief. Does this mean no more children's parents will be killed? Was this the urgent news that Professor Oak wanted to tell her? She felt so elated that she a rare smile escaped her lips as she sat on the grass, reading, and re-reading the headlines to make sure it wasn't just a dream. When she was satisfied that it wasn't, she turned to the letter and hurriedly open it, expecting to hear more good news from the Professor.

"Dear Miss Lime," the letter began, "I'm sure you would have read today's headlines first, since The Kanto Bulletin is a pleasant but rare sight for an intellectual individual such as yourself. Messenger Hoothoots are working overtime all over the region delivering the good news to everyone. However, that is not why I sent my Dragonite to tell you. This war has cost this region many lives, and I am grateful for your selfless contribution to the orphanage where others have shunned the responsibility, but there is one last favour I must ask of you.

While on my journeys across the world to study these animals with unique abilities that some people have taken to call it "Magical Creatures", I came across an orphaned baby in critical condition in a destroyed and abandoned village near the Hoenn region a month ago, your guess is as good as mine as to how the village was destroyed. As far as we know, the war did not affect this region. Nevertheless, I took the baby with me and cut short my journey across the world. I tried to stop by to tell you about the matter on the night I found him, but alas, it was the same night that you just took in another orphan and was busy consoling her, so I decided not to. I've been informed by Cherrygrove City Hospital that the child's condition is stable now.

You can already guess what I am about to ask of you. Please take care of this orphan as you have already done with so many others. I know this is a very unusual way of accepting an orphan under your care, but please understand that I'm not ready to be a father let alone a mentor to anyone yet. I know he will be safe with you. I have already arranged with the hospital for you to take him home so please do so as soon as possible. I'll keep in touch soon. With regards, Samuel.

P.S The child's name is Carlin. It was sewed onto the blankets wrapped around him in the village ruins. Also, please try talking to my Dragonite politely next time. These creatures have feelings too, you know? He's getting more unwilling to deliver my messages to you."

"Miss Lime? Is everything okay?" a small voice from behind Miss Lime asked. She turned around to face one of her beloved orphans. He was very small but had white hair which was very odd for a child. He was still wearing his pyjamas, hugging a small hand-made doll that Miss Lime made for him. His piercing yellow eyes glazed over as he rubbed the sleep out of them. This boy's name was Drayden. "We saw Professor Oak's big dragon from the window. What happened?" he continued.

"Let's talk inside, Drayden." Miss Lime solemnly said, "I have something I wish to tell everyone." She stood up and dusted her lap and with one hand around the child's shoulder, she led him back into the dreary old orphanage.

A cool sea breeze ruffled the leaves in the trees outside Cherrygrove City Hospital, which stood sturdy and tall under the morning sky, the very last place you would expect the arguably world's first monster trainer for hire to spend his first few weeks of his life. Carlin rolled over in his makeshift cot, not knowing he would be woken in a few hours' time by Miss Lime's cooing as she brought him out of the hospital, nor that he would spend the next few years learning about the wicked ways of the world with "Magical Creatures". He couldn't know that at this very moment, the country was celebrating the joy of the century, giving each other hugs and kisses and pats on their back shouting: "The war is finally over! It's the end of an era!"


	2. Chapter 2 - The First Decade

**Chapter 2 – The First Decade**

Nearly ten years had passed since Carlin was taken to the orphanage by Miss Lime, but Cherrygrove City had hardly changed at all. The morning sun shone on the same tidy flower garden that Miss Lime had so diligently took care of; it crept into the dining hall, which was almost exactly the same as it had been on the morning little Drayden had spotted a Dragonite through its windows. Only the photographs on the walls in the foyer really showed how much time had passed. Ten years ago, there had been lots of pictures of children and young teenagers gathered around the same slim figured, brown-haired lady in a group photo pose, in many different places: there was one where they stood in front of a three-tiered tower with multiple eaves, another where they appeared to be standing outside a cave, next to a middle aged man holding a pink creature with a blank expression on its face, and the orphans' favourite photo, one where they did candid poses under a sign that read: "Welcome to Goldenrod City" – but all the teenagers have grown up and left the orphanage to build a life for themselves, and now the photographs showed just four orphans left: a stunning blonde-haired girl who looked to be in her late teens, Drayden, who is now no longer little but in fact, quite tall for his age, his hair still inexplicably white, smiling nonchalantly. Another girl stood next to Drayden in the photo. Her hair was black, shoulder-length and messy. She had a fierce look in her eyes, which stood out in the photo as emerald green, but it wasn't the only thing outstanding about her. A scar about the length of a little finger runs down her left eye, which appears old but intimidating. Finally, there was Carlin. He stood next to Miss Lime in the picture, wearing a scowl on his face, and his hands showing a rude gesture towards the camera. The room held no sign at all that another soul lived in the house too.

It was still relatively early in the morning and Carlin is still asleep at the moment, but not for long. He felt a cold and wet sensation engulf his cheek as his eyes snapped wide open. The chill in his cheek spread quickly to his neck as he jumped out of bed with a scream.

"What the fu-" Carlin bellowed, but before he could catch whatever licked his cheek with what felt like an over-sized washcloth soaked in an ice bath, the shadow of an entity disappeared into the floor, gazing at him with a huge grin, leaving behind wisps of purple gas.

Carlin sat back down onto his bed, furiously rubbing his neck and cheek. He heard footsteps walking downstairs towards the kitchen and then the sound of a pot being put on the stove. Must be Joanne up and early again, thought Carlin as he rolled onto his back and tried to remember the dream he had been having. It had been a strange one. There were strange people wearing uniforms with a huge letter "R" across the front of it. He had a funny feeling he dreamt it before.

"Are you up yet?" a shrill voice suddenly spoke up from outside the door, making Carlin jump a second time. He didn't like hearing this familiar but annoying voice first thing in the morning.

"I was already up before you came sneaking to my door and shouting through it," Carlin answered, "How do you even walk across the hall to my room without creaking the floorboards?"

"No thanks to Gastly that I'm sure. Now get a move on," the voice urged on, ignoring his question. "We are going to see Professor Oak today and I want to settle our score once and for all!"

Carlin groaned.

"What did you say?" the voice snapped though the door.

"Nothing, nothing…"

The rare visits to Celadon University – how could he have forgotten? Professor Oak organises these visits to give the orphans exposure to the sciences and develop their curiosities for the world's mysteries. Carlin got out of bed and started looking for a shirt. He found one draped on his chair and, after whipping it in the air to remove the specks of dust on the shirt and the remnant traces of purple gas out the window, he put them on. Carlin was used to dust on his clothes, especially his shirts, because he didn't have a habit of wearing shirts inside the orphanage, where he spends most of his time.

When he was dressed, he went downstairs into the dining hall. The table was already being set for five people and one person was seated at the end, twiddling her thumbs, and humming a tune softly.

"Good morning, Carlin," said Miss Lime pleasantly. "I see Agatha did a fine job of waking you up bright and early for our visit today."

Carlin mumbled his greeting as he sat down next to her, still a little angry about how he was woken up. The delicious fragrance of rice and omelette from the kitchen soon changed his mind. His stomach rumbled in response. He couldn't wait to see what Miss Lime prepared for breakfast on a special morning like this. He looked back at Miss Lime, who was now greeting Agatha as she appeared at the door as stealthily as she did outside Carlin's bedroom and realised something amiss.

"Joanne," Carlin began, but before he could continue, Agatha interrupted, "How many times, Carlin?" she scolded, "It's 'Miss Lime'. Don't call her by her first name, it's rude."

"It's all right, really," Miss Lime chimed in, "Although adding a 'Miss' wouldn't hurt, would it Carlin?"

Carlin rolled his eyes. He hated having to answer to authority. He hated to be powerless as an eleven-year-old to make big decisions without the adults interfering, but his stomach is saying otherwise. Carlin may be a rebellious child, but he is a child nonetheless.

"Who is cooking in the kitchen if you're here Miss Joanne?" Carlin quickly asked before Agatha could retort.

As if to answer Carlin's question, the door to the kitchen flung wide open to reveal Drayden wearing mittens and holding a pot of rice, looking around the room.

"Who's hungry?" he boomed as walked carefully to the table and placed the pot close to Miss Lime's bowl. Miss Lime began to help herself to the rice when Drayden stopped her. "Miss Lime please, you were kind enough to let me help with breakfast for the first time knowing that my cooking skills are terrible, allow me to also help with the serving."

"I wasn't worried at all you know," Miss Lime assured him, "You had Caroline to help you along the way. She really knows her way around a frying pan for her age. With your smarts and her talent, I'm sure breakfast wouldn't be a problem."

Drayden smiled. "I'm not sure if that was sarcasm or not, but I'll go with the more optimistic choice." As Drayden finished filling all five bowls with rice, he looked back to the kitchen, "Where is Caroline by the way? I thought she would be finished with the omelette and soup by now." He went towards the kitchen door, now shut, and slowly opened it while softly singing, "Caroline~? Are you –" his sentence was then cut-off midway and replaced by a blood-curdling scream from the top of his lungs.

He collapsed to the floor, panting. The kitchen door now slowly creaked open once again to show where was supposed to be Caroline's head has now been replaced by a round, and dark entity about the size of a watermelon. Large amounts of purple gas seem to be emitting endlessly from the creature. It's freakishly long tongue flicking in between two vampirical fangs at Drayden without a sound while it's large menacing eyes darted around the room, as if it's looking for something, or someone.

"Gastly!" Agatha exclaimed, "I told you, playing in the kitchen is not allowed! You could hurt someone." The ghost drifted towards Agatha, gave her a pouty look, and disappeared though the window and into the flower garden outside.

"I'm so sorry Drayden," Caroline laughed, helping Drayden back on his feet, "Gastly was feeling a little restless today and wanted to play a game of scary faces with me while you went out with the rice. Are you hurt?" she asked, her emerald green eyes now showing a look of genuine concern.

"No, but I think I just aged ten years from that encounter." Drayden replied dryly. "Thank goodness my hair is already white. I plan to live a long life you know, please don't let it do that to me again." He shot Agatha an irritated look. "For a lady as pretty as you, you sure do like the scary looking ones a little too much, I reckon."

"Oh please," Agatha scoffed, "as if you don't have little obsessions of your own. Getting a little too friendly with Professor Oak's little pet dragon every time it visits, hmm?"

"Can we start eating now? I'm starving." Carlin blared through the conversation. He glanced over to Miss Lime, who hasn't said anything throughout the whole fiasco. She looked to be tearing up slightly. She noticed Carlin staring at her and quickly wiped her eyes.

"Carlin's right," Miss Lime agreed, "the food will get cold soon if we all just stand around talking. Thank you, Drayden and thank you Caroline for preparing breakfast in my stead this morning."

At that moment, the telephone rang and Agatha went to answer it while Miss Lime and Drayden went into the kitchen to help Caroline bring out the omelette and the soup pot. They just started eating the simple but well-made breakfast when Agatha came back from the telephone looking excited.

"Good news, everyone," she said. "Professor Oak has so kindly offered a free ride on his Dragonite to Celadon University, since he was training it to allow human passengers these last few months." She jerked her head in Drayden's direction.

Drayden's mouth fell open in joy. It had indeed been his obsession with dragons that caused him to look forward to Celadon University visits, which does not come every year, as he could then spend all his time over there with Professor Oak's Dragonite. It was beyond his wildest expectations to be able to ride one, let alone ride one across the region. "Are you sure you didn't mishear the professor?" Drayden said, eyes wide with ecstasy. "The phoneline is newly installed since the war after all..." Agatha ignored his rhetoric and looked back to the group.

"Only two of us are allowed on it though." Said Agatha, looking inquisitively at Miss Lime. "Since Drayden is automatically going to be passenger number one, who is going to be passenger number two?"

Carlin raised his hand. "Take me! I want to try riding a dragon."

Caroline raised her eyebrows. "Why the sudden interest, Carlin? I thought you disliked these magical creatures."

"It's not that I disliked them, I just don't trust them, especially the ones in the wild," replied Carlin indignantly, "but Professor Oak has had his dragon for years, it may as well be his grandson!"

"He's not yet that old to have a grandson." Caroline giggled, "and you're too small to be riding something so huge, you'll fall off!"

"No, I won't! Drayden will take care of me." Carlin looked over to Drayden, who was already wolfing down his breakfast as quickly as he could, apparently not listening. "Besides, you're like Miss Joanne. You both don't like that Dragonite so why bother riding it? And Agatha is scared of heights anyway so she shouldn't want to either."

"I'm not –" began Agatha, but Miss Lime interrupted her. "So how will the rest of us get there? I think that is the real reason you're excited about all this, Agatha. You have practically zero interest in riding these creatures after all."

"You're half-right Miss Lime." Agatha boasted. "The professor has also generously given us free two-way train passes for the train at Goldenrod City for those of us not riding his Dragonite. Unlike the previous visits where we had to take a long bus trip." She then licked her lips as she continued, "he has also agreed to battle my Gastly in a university campus-approved battle-field, the battle I've been waiting so long for!"

"You'll lose," mumbled Carlin as he finished his breakfast along with Caroline.

"How do you know? You've never seen these creatures in a fight before, let alone my Gastly."

"I know because I've been watching your Gastly ever since it followed you back from our visit to Elder Li's pagoda tower" said Carlin smugly, "besides scaring the pants off people around this house, that Gastly has not been trained for fighting with other monsters." He folded his arms and continued as-a-matter-of-factly "It's even afraid of other ghosts."

Agatha looked at him incredulously, "what do you mean? He's never seen another ghost before."

Before Carlin could answer, everyone in the dining room then heard a soft tapping noise coming from the window. Gastly was already back at Agatha's side, spiralling around her as it hissed excitedly. Professor Oak's Dragonite was outside the window peering in, lazily waving one paw that was holding train passes at Miss Lime. It wasn't carrying a leather bag this time. Instead, it had two saddles with harnesses strapped to its back.

Half an hour later, Carlin, who couldn't believe his luck, was about to be strapped to the back of a two-metre-tall dragon for the first time in his life. Everyone was sure the trip would be safe as they know Professor Oak's Dragonite is the very personification of the term "Gentle Giant". He wouldn't hurt a fly even if his life depended on it.

Before they took off, Drayden pulled Carlin aside. "Don't tell Miss Lime about this," Drayden said, putting his chiselled face right up close to Carlin's, "I know how eager you are to ride this Dragonite but I want to warn you – the straps provided by the professor isn't exactly child sized, if you know what I mean, so they're going to be a little loose on securing you to its back. Are you still up for riding after knowing about this?"

"What's this Drayden?" Carlin smirked. "Are you trying to scare me off into taking the train instead so that you can have Dragonite all to yourself?"

Drayden scowled in response. "Fine, don't say I didn't warn you. Dragonites may be gentle in nature, but their flight speed is something to be amazed about." Drayden turned to look at Dragonite admiringly. "Their top speed enables them to fly around the world in just sixteen hours. Less than a day, mind you."

"Then ask it not to fly at top speed, 'Dragon Expert'." Carlin sneered, drawing quotation marks in the air as he gave Drayden his nickname.

Drayden then shook his head and gave an audible sigh as he lifted Carlin onto Dragonite's back and fastened the straps before climbing up himself, sandwiching Carlin between himself and Dragonite's back. It was a new sensation for Carlin. Despite being a draconic creature, it was not covered in scales, but in a light orange and soft skin. He could feel its well-developed muscles adjusting themselves to their weight as its large, greyish-green eyes gazed back at its two passengers, its small nostrils flaring up, producing a steady stream of smoke, preparing itself for the journey. A pair of long thin antennae at the top of its head wiggled in anticipation, waiting for Drayden to give the order to take off.

"Take care you two," Miss Lime called from the ground. "I'm sure you'll both reach the university way before us, so get comfortable before we arrive." She then took out a camera from her bag and pointed it at the duo. "Say cheese!"

"HISSS!"

SNAP!

"Oh Gastly," Miss Lime lamented, chasing the playful entity out of the cameras' line-of-sight with her hands. "You always knew you'll never appear in photographs, but you'll never stop trying to ruin the shot in the name of fun, won't you?" Agatha's Gastly was then seen to be playfully licking Dragonite's face, but what the photograph would inevitably show is that Dragonite making a disgusted expression for no apparent reason.

"Okay, enough lollygagging." Agatha declared. "Gastly, we have a battle ahead of us, let's get serious now, alright?" She gestured the gaseous spirit back to her side.

"Tell me how your flight will be when we reach the university," Caroline requested to the two. "I want to know if it's worth letting Carlin have a go this time or not."

By now, Carlin wasn't so sure. The straps securing him to the creature indeed wasn't tight at all, but it felt safe enough for him not to fall off mid-flight at least. He gave Caroline a nod of confirmation and said nothing. "Let's go, Dragonite." Said Drayden's voice from behind Carlin.

And the ground and the ever-so-familiar flower garden around them fell away, dropping out of sight as Dragonite flew directly up; in seconds the whole of Cherrygrove City lay, calm and peaceful, below them. Carlin's stomach gave an uncomfortable churn, he could tell this wasn't going to be a smooth ride.


	3. Chapter 3-Prof Westwood & the Craftsman

**Chapter 3 – Professor Westwood and the Craftsman**

Professor Oak's Dragonite gave a great roar as they continue to ascend, and Carlin felt his stomach experience another nasty churn: they were rising through the air fast, his eyes watering slightly, hair whipped back off his face. So great was his discomfort that he almost called out to the dragon to let them back down again. By the time he looked over the edge of the creature's shoulder he could no longer tell where Cherrygrove City orphanage was amongst the grey cubes and green patches that peppered the ground below. Higher and higher they climbed into the sky –

And then, out of nowhere, out of nothing, they were surrounded. At least thirty bird-like monsters, with crests of pinkish-red feathers on their heads, brandish their razor-sharp talons threateningly, formed a vast circle in the midst of which Dragonite had risen, ready to strike –

Screeches erupting, a powerful gust of wind on every side: Drayden gave a yell and Dragonite rolled over. Carlin lost any sense of where they were: Buildings above him, squawks around him, he was clinging to the side of the dragon for dear life. His leg tangled to the straps of the harness as he struggled in the panic, and his weight starts to shift too much to the side –

"No – Carlin!"

Drayden was hysterical, but he managed to seize the strap caught in Carlin's leg as Dragonite swung the right way up again. A second's pause, and the dragon let out the most deafening roar it's two passengers ever heard.

Several bird-like creatures flew away in terror, but most of them still remained, and their attacks remain unrelenting.

Dragonite zoomed forward; Carlin glimpsed the birds which now seemed really large up-close, scattering as they blasted through their circle. He glanced over his shoulder and saw the mass of bird monsters regrouping, preparing to whip up another dangerous gust of wind.

"We can't shake them off!" cried Carlin, "Dragon, do something!"

As he looked back again, he saw four fast moving shadows drop from above them, nearly slicing off his left leg: Four of the bird creatures that flew faster than the rest had broken away from the circle and were pursuing them, two of which were exceptionally larger than the rest, their eyes fixated on Carlin. Dragonite swerved, but the birds were keeping up with them; more gusts of wind shot after them, and Carlin grasped the harness even tighter.

Out of nowhere, the clear skies turned cloudy and dark, nearly obscuring the sun, the sound of rumbling thunder followed, but there were no signs of rain. A huge bolt of lightning shot down from above Dragonite, nearly missing their pursuers, and then another, and another.

Dragonites' pair of antennae twitched erratically as countless lightning bolts rained down upon the large birds. Twisting his body, Carlin watched as they frantically attempt to avoid all of them. Three of the birds were dodging them all successfully, but the forth was not so lucky: A single bolt of lightning struck it squarely on the back and it dropped like a rock from the sheer intensity of the shock, its feathers aflame. One of the birds slowed up to save it, but the group of three were shortly blown asunder as Dragonite turned around to face them in the chaos and created a twister larger than any gust of wind blown by the birds so far.

More gust attacks rushed past Carlin's head from the remaining flock of birds, who were now catching up to them; they were aiming for Dragonite. The hulking dragon responded with more twisters generated by its mighty wings: horizontal cyclones collided in mid-air with a deafening clash, and Carlin thought wildly of banging cymbals, and the people below who would have no idea what was happening –

"Here we go again, Carlin, hold on!" yelled Drayden, and he guided Dragonites' head towards the gaining pursuers, now dangerously close behind them as he commanded to Dragonite: "Use Thunder again!" Numerous lightning bolts shot down from the skies once again, but the birds were ready for it. Not only did they swerve almost in synchronization to avoid every single one, but the larger bird which had slowed to save their presumably dead companion had caught up. It bloomed suddenly from below them and with a swift motion of its wings, created an exceptionally sharp blade of thin air and sliced Dragonites' leg wide open.

With an unmistakable bellowing roar, Dragonite shut its eyes in pain, and they began to lose altitude at a tremendous rate, though the hills below still seemed remote and far away. Rushes of air blades shot past them again. Carlin had no idea which way was up and which was down anymore: His arms aching from the tight grip over Dragonites' harness; he expected to die at any second. The largest bird from the flock was feet from him, he saw its beak begin to glow –

And then Carlin saw it. A strange humanoid creature that he had never seen before materialised from thin air and gripped the harness from behind Drayden with its three-clawed hands. Before anything else could happen, Carlin's vision went dark, and he felt nothing else.

"Drayden?"

Carlin struggled to raise himself from a prone position he somehow found himself in; his hands sank into inches of muddy water as he tried to stand. They were on solid ground now. He could not understand how he got there and where the birds had gone. Something hot and wet was trickling down his chin and from his forehead. He stumbled toward the great orange mass on the ground that was Dragonite.

"Dragonite? Drayden? Drayden, talk to me –"

But the orange mass did not stir. There was no sign of Drayden.

"Easy there boy, is it Carlin? Are you Carlin?"

Carlin did not recognize the man's voice. Then a voice shouted in his head that his ears did not hear, "They've crashed, Master Westwood! I did my best but they crashed!"

Carlin's head was swimming.

"Drayden," he repeated stupidly, and his knees buckled.

The next thing he knew, he was lying on his back on what felt like cushions, with a sudden pricking sensation of an injection being administered to his right arm. He suddenly no longer felt dizzy, but the pain on his forehead was still throbbing.

"Drayden?"

He opened his eyes and saw that he was lying on a stretcher bed in an unfamiliar, campfire-lit cave. A fair-haired, big nosed man was watching Carlin anxiously.

"Drayden and Dragonite's fine, son," said the man, "they're being seen to now. How are you feeling? Anything broken? I've fixed the cut on your forehead and checked for internal bleeding, but I'm not so good with broken bones. I'm Westwood, by the way, Westwood the fifth – a colleague of Samuel."

Carlin sat up too quickly: Lights popped in front of his eyes and he felt sick and giddy once more.

"The birds –"

"Easy now," said Westwood, placing a hand on Carlin's shoulder and pushing him back down to the rickety bed. "That was a nasty crash you just had. What happened anyway? You and that young man decided to have a battle in the air? That cut on Samuel's Dragonite didn't look like an accident."

"No," said Carlin, as his cut pulsed softly. "A flock of birds attacked, with two bigger than us – we were chased –"

"Pidgeots?" said Westwood sharply. "What d'you mean you were chased? I thought they didn't know you were out of the orphanage today, I thought –"

"They knew," said the voice in Carlin's head once more.

Westwood turned to face the creature that saved Carlin's group earlier and gave a look of concern. The creature looked up at the stalactites on the cave ceiling as through he could see through it to the sky above. Carlin squinted his eyes to have a closer look in the dimly lit cave at this mysterious magical creature who apparently could communicate with humans without speaking.

It had two large pointed ears on the top of its head, a red star on its forehead, and wide cheeks leading down to a thin snout. Its eyes are deep-set and narrow. Extending from its snout are two long, moustache-like tufts of fur. Its torso is segmented with bulky shoulders, a thick, brown chest, and a small abdomen marked by three red, wavy lines. Attached to the monster's abdomen is a large, thick tail encircled with a brown band near its base. Its arms are thin with brown elbows, and end in three-fingered hands with white claws. Its legs have prominent knees and large, three-toed feet, also ending in white claws. However, most peculiar of all, its holding a silver spoon on its right hand, pointing it to the ceiling like a magnifying glass.

"Well, I'm very grateful for your psychic senses to be so razor-sharp as to sense the danger they were in, despite them being hundreds of metres in the air," Westwood commended the creature, "they shouldn't find us in here after you simply teleported them." The creature didn't respond, or rather, Carlin wasn't sure if it did. Westwood smiled at Carlin's confused expression but did not explain.

Questions exploded inside Carlin's head like fireworks and he couldn't decide which to ask first. He felt a stronger sense of curiosity coming to his thoughts than fear or worry. Somehow, this man and his creature did not seem to harbour any malicious intent. Though they seem to know who he is, the feeling wasn't mutual. Words were about to escape his lips to start a slew of queries when another stretcher bed next to the spoon-wielding monster creaked loudly and Drayden sat up on it, his face covered in dirt and blood, rubbing the back of his head slowly but miraculously alive.

"Carlin!"

Drayden rushed over to Carlin's side and pulled him into a hug. "I'm so sorry for your first flight to be such a disaster! If Miss Lime finds out, she'll kill me!"

"I'm glad you're alright, Drayden," Carlin replied, "for magical creatures to be so dangerous and wild, no wonder you guys keep Caroline and I locked up in that crampy old place all the time."

Drayden's face turned from an expression of relieve to worry. "That wasn't my intention at all," he said, glancing at Westwood nervously, "I did warn you about the loose straps, but even I didn't expect Pidgeottos and Pidgeots to attack us on the way there. We weren't even near any of their known nests locations."

"That would be because those monsters are not from the wild," said Westwood, stroking his chin thoughtfully. "Pidgeots only fly at such high altitudes during migration seasons, but it is too early for that. They are territorial creatures, like any other wild animals, but they are not known to attack intruders with such killing intent."

"If you would be so kind as not to speak so cryptically to young master Carlin and young master Drayden, I would gladly provide exposition for them, Master Westwood" rang the spoon-wielding creature's voice in Carlin's head once again. Westwood opened his mouth again to answer, but fell silent after considering what he just said explained very little about the situation. Drayden then turned to face the creature for the first time. "I could never get used to hearing your voice with my mind and not my ears, Kadabra. Why don't you speak like a normal person? Or is your species name all you can say?"

The creature stared at Drayden blankly. "Always a pleasure to see you again, young master Drayden," echoed the voice.

"Well then Carlin, I suppose the reason you've decided to go to Celadon University is because you've made a decision?" Westwood interrupted, his eyes wide with anticipation.

"Decision on what?" asked Carlin, surprised that he wasn't doing the interrupting to ask questions.

Westwood turned to Drayden and gave him a mildly annoyed look, "you never told him?" Drayden shifted his weight on the bed uncomfortably at the question and did not answer him.

"Never told me what?" said Carlin eagerly.

"I'm not sure if Carlin's ready for what you and Professor Oak have prepared for him to do," mumbled Drayden reluctantly. "I understand your intentions but he's still just a boy, can't you wait till he's a little older?"

"Ah, but he's not just any ten-year-old. Not according to Professor Oak anyway." Westwood threw Carlin a sideways glace. "Carlin, how would you like to be – "

A deafening but very familiar roar echoed throughout the cave, cutting off Westwood mid-sentence. Professor Oak's Dragonite had awoke, a freshly wrapped bandage wrapped around its injured leg, its orange paws covering its eyes as it flails its legs and tail wildly in the air, creating mini seismic quakes with each time they hit the cave floor.

"I forgot that Samuel's Dragonite is claustrophobic!" Westwood shouted in-between the roars, shielding his head from bits of rocks falling from the ceiling, "Pocus! Get us out of here before he brings the whole Cerulean cave down on us!" Westwood's Kadabra raised its spoon above its head and its eyes glowed white. For a brief moment, Carlin felt a sense of weightlessness and the cave melted out of sight, just like the birds did before. Seconds later, Carlin's feet slammed onto hard ground and he fell onto his hands and knees at the entrance of another cave. He heard a scream and the sound of something splashing into what sounds like a large puddle of water. Blinking away the dust in his eyes, Carlin stood up, swaying slightly, and saw a familiar face of a man with a slightly receding hairline running up the steps by side of the obviously man-made cave as the rest of the group, who had also collapsed on landing, clambered frantically to their feet.

"Uncle Kurt!" Carlin exclaimed, relieved to finally feel a sense of familiarity at the sight of his slightly confused face. He ran over at once and gave Kurt a hug. "Well, if it isn't our friendly neighbourhood master craftsman," said Drayden between breaths, while trying not to look worn out, "I would have hoped to see you later than sooner, but I believe that Professor Westwood's intentions seem to have overwritten mine." Kurt's eyes darted to Professor Westwood at the mention of his name, anticipating an explanation for the abrupt visit.

Professor Westwood let out a heavy sigh. "Tell him, Pocus," he gestured to his Kadabra. The creature looked at Kurt and said nothing. Kurt began to nod as the creature remained motionless, indicating that some form of communication was happening just between the two. Carlin took a quick glance at Professor Oak's Dragonite, who was now licking the bandage at the entrance of the cave, it's huge body blocking the path. A small wave of guilt overcame him. He knows the avian attackers were targeting him but he didn't know why, and Dragonite got hurt defending him. He wondered if these magical creatures understood the concept of apologies when Drayden pulled him aside, away from prying ears just like that morning.

"I'm sorry that you had to find out this way Carlin," said Drayden apologetically. "I thought that at your age, you shouldn't have to experience the things that I went through."

"I'm not a kid anymore Drayden," insisted Carlin. "Just be straight with me, what is going on?"

Before Drayden opened his mouth to answer, a long drawn out wail erupted from behind Dragonite, inside the cave. "Oh! That's my Slowpoke!" cried Kurt as he tried to squeeze past Dragonite but failed. "He finally felt the surprise of your visit, Westwood. Excuse me!" he hastily shoved Dragonite's tail aside and disappeared into the cave, reappearing seconds later with a pink, dopey looking creature in his arms, now no longer wailing. "Uncle, Kurt," Carlin started, "I think it's time I get some answers. Why am I here instead of Celadon University?"

"Well, Pocus here has kindly told me of recent events in Cerulean Cave," said Kurt thoughtfully, his head gesturing to the Kadabra while stroking the pink creature's head. "Since Professor Oak has been generously providing me with funding for my life-long research into these magical creatures and I think I've made a major breakthrough, it's time I pay my long over-due debt to my old friend." Kurt turned to face Carlin, a serious but kind expression etched on his face. "Come inside, I'll tell you everything that you'll need to know."

Kurt's cottage was a small one. An old but sturdy looking desk stood in the corner of the single room building. Next to it lay piles and piles of notes and documents, all in the same messy hand-writing. In the centre of the room stood a short but wide table, with one kneeling cushion placed on each side. On the other side of the room stood one final table, a radio and a kettle was placed on it. However, the one, or rather, two things that caught Carlin's eye fairly quickly seemed unique about Kurt's cottage. Two large bins stood at the back of the room, both filled with strange looking fruits of different shape and sizes. Carlin remembers how Kurt's cottage looked over the many visits he had together with the other orphans to Kurt, but the bins were never there before. He was curious, but it wasn't the most pressing matter on his mind at the moment, so he sat down quietly next to the short table in the middle of the room, expecting answers.

"So, my dear boy Carlin," began Kurt, taking his seat next to Carlin. "What do you know about the great war?"

"I know the war went on for a long time and my parents died in it," replied Carlin, wondering where Kurt was coming from. "Professor Oak found me in the ruins of my house when I was a baby and Ms Lime took me in."

"So, nobody told you much about the war," Kurt sighed. "The circumstances behind it, and how it has led you to this very conversation with me." Carlin did not answer, and simply shook his head.

"For the longest time, humanity has been in numerous conflicts with what we know today as magical creatures," said Kurt, gesturing to Professor Westwood's Kadabra, who was now meditating in front of the single wide window in the cottage, its claws on its knees and its spoon drifting aimlessly around its ears, and to his Slowpoke, who was now lying belly up on the short table, staring blankly at the ceiling. "We fought over territories, food and other resources. Eventually, humanity appeared to have the upper hand, and we successfully domesticate some of the less dangerous species."

"Humans domesticate them? How?"

"From birth of course, it is the current best method to train a magical creature without risk of serious injury or death."

"Then why tame them when we have the means to destroy them?"

"Because the point of becoming the dominant species of the planet is to subjugate all other species and make them serve mankind, is it not?" whispered Kurt, "and what's the point of becoming the dominant species if there are no lesser species to do your bidding?"

Carlin did not know how to respond. He didn't expect Kurt to have such a morbid opinion on magical creatures.

"But I don't fully agree on this ideology," Kurt added hurriedly, sensing the slight distress on Carlin's face. "The primary drive of humans and these magical creatures are the same after all: To survive and multiply. It is to this end that the conflict began in the first place." Kurt's face then turned serious. "But humanity did not enjoy the peace for long. We began to separate ourselves into different groups by the different territories we had. Another conflict for all groups to try to take over all territories began. It was then that I realised that the fighting will never end if humanity continues to want more and more."

"So how did the war end?" Carlin asked, now curious.

"Be patient, Carlin, I'm getting to that." Kurt said, patting Carlin on the head. "The Kanto Government had a fail-safe plan to protect its citizens after the conflict between magical creatures and humans, in the event something similar happens again. They decided to train a number of young citizens and teach them significant amounts of useful skills to help rally and rescue any and all citizens of Kanto and bring them to safe locations if fighting ever breaks out again. Since they are supposed to be the last line of defence when all others have failed, like the police and the paramedics, if the situation calls for it, they are trained to fight back any and all aggressors as well Thus they are authorised to possess military grade weapons and communication devices. They are called sleeper agents."

"Are you one of these agents?"

"I was, yes, until I got too old to keep up," said Kurt. "Unfortunately, the citizens did not agree with the governments' efforts to keep them safe with this method. The government kept too many secrets from the citizens, and these agents held too much power with little to no accountability."

"Why were we not allowed to know about you agents? Does Ms Lime and the others know?"

"No, this is the first time I've told anyone about this," said Kurt, absent-mindedly scratching Slowpoke's belly. "The only ones who knew were Professor Westwood and Samuel. It was kept a secret because there were eyes and ears from the enemy everywhere during the war. A leak of the identities of the agents, much less the existence of such a force to the enemy puts everyone in grave danger." Kurt then continued, "and so to prevent an impending revolt, the government disavowed the agents and left them to their fate after the war, despite their monumental efforts to keep the citizens unharmed. Some even believed that it was because of them that the war ended at all."

Carlin stared at Kurt blankly. This felt too heavy for an eleven-year-old to handle. Kurt looked at Carlin and explained, "just see us as people who did our jobs but were fired anyway."

"Do you guys have codenames? Like in the movies?" asked Carlin.

"We did."

"What was your codename?"

"We operated in teams. My teams' designated alphabet was "R", for rocket."


End file.
